In the shadow of the sun
by fuyu-no-tsuki
Summary: As Al tries to find the source of the murders plaguing his home he also must face a strange woman with a stranger request. AlXHei. Follows after Entkommen.


Disclaimer: Fullmetal Alchemist does not belong to me.

Description: Follows after Entkommen die Vergangenheit. Things don't go as well as they thought. After everything that already happened can they make it through a second time? Shounen Ai, HeiXAl. Violence, death.

Previously: In Entkommen Al gets his body back but it had been sent to the other side of the gate and when his soul returned to it he had no memory. He met Heiderich and they became lovers.

Ed came through in search of his little brother but what it took from him wasn't physical. He changed and ended up hurting Al instead of helping him.

Al is attacked and loses his voice to an injury. They escape and Al meets Noah, she helped get his memories back. On the run again Al brings Heiderich and himself thought the gate to Amestris. Finally, they could settle down and find happiness. Or so they thought...

AN: When Al speaks it is in italics because he is using sign language. (Assuming that they use the same type in Germany as in Amestris)

Chapter One, Lost Bliss

* * *

They had thought coming through the gate would make everything better but they where wrong. the worst problem had been brought back with them. 

Everything was fine at first. Then, there were signs.

Heiderich would cough more then normal. He was weaker and was always tired. They just pretended everything was fine.

Until they couldn't anymore.

Heiderich had become too ill and they had to admit that he was never cured in the first place.

The night before Heiderich had finally succumb to it.

Al was prepared. Under the rug in the living room he had carved a transmutation circle.

He was going to bring Heiderich back. He knew it could be done. Ed had brought him back in a way had he not?

Strong gusts of snowy wind made the windows rattle violently as the young alchemist finished.

The sun should have just risen but the storm made it impossible to tell. It almost seemed like the weather knew what was happening and wanted to create the right backdrop to the twisted scene.

The room was completely bare of furniture. The circle took up the whole of the floor, Heiderich's colour drained body lay in the middle.

Al could almost pretend he was just sleeping.

Except when he touched him his skin was cool.

Breath no longer caused the chest to rise and fall in that uneven way it had in the end.

Alphonse stood beside his lover. Eyes haunted and dark.

He was about to repeat the fatale mistake he had regretted for so long.

He would regret not doing so more.

If he didn't do this now, while there was still time, he would always wonder if it would have worked. What if, had he taken the time, they could have had another chance?

It took everything he had not to break down. He closed himself in the numbness that had so helped him before. It was much harder than it had been back then.

But this was so much worse then anything that had happened previously.

Al had planned everything out, he knew exactly what he would exchange. If it wasn't enough then he would just give more.

Clapping his hands together he pressed them against the circle and channeled all his strength and focus into making sure everything was done exactly right.

Searing pain flashed though him and everything happened in a second that lasted forever.

XXX

His head felt fuzzy.

Chill from the floor penetrated his clothes but he wasn't cold.

Slowly awareness returned and with it came confusion.

Why was he on the floor? How had he gotten here?

How was it that he didn't hurt anymore?

His fingers brushed something. There was someone laying beside him.

Al was splayed out on the dusty worn ground.

Sickening realization came and with dread he pressed two fingers against the vulnerable neck.

His breath hitched and a relived sob stuck in his thought.

He knew what the circle around them was for. That it wasn't for ordinary transmutations.

Alphonse must have brought him back.

That meant he had died.

Al woke to see Heiderich over him. Had it worked or had he made a mistake and joined him in death? But if he was dead too he wouldn't be in the room still.

He flung his arms around Heiderichs neck. He was alive! It couldn't be a dream, life wasn't that cruel.

Heiderich pressed his face into the silky honey coloured hair. "What did you give?"

Pushing away Al looked into the concerned blue eyes.

Alphonse put on a false smile. _It doesn't matter, nothing I need right now._

"Right now?" From the look on Al's face he knew it was pointless to try and get an answer.

_Heiderich? You are better right? You're really here? _

"Better then I suspect I was not too long ago."

The question that hung unasked between them was. 'Was it for real this time?'

He had felt better after coming through the gate, they were tricked into thinking that it had cured him.

Could they take it a second time?

Heiderich didn't know what to feel.

He was alive. He was grateful for that.

It was odd to think that not so long ago he wasn't.

Alphonse had brought him back for love but what if someone that knew how had less then good intentions? Were such things taken into account? And what if someone with good intentions took it to far?

Did questions like these even have answers?

It was nice simply be able to get up again.

In the end he could barely sit. Al had always been there. That set expression on his face as he tried to stay strong. They hadn't spoken of it but both had known what was soon to come.

If Alphonse had asked him before hand if he wanted to be brought back he would have said no. He knew what it meant, what might happen.

But Al hadn't asked and he hadn't refused. He couldn't seem to wish things different.

The thing that concerned him most was that he knew Al had to have given something but he couldn't figure out what it was.

They where both alive and seemingly healthy.

It didn't make sense. He should be dead and Al should be for trying to resurrect him.

By some miracle it hadn't turned out that way.

He decided to force his mind off that track before reality decided to show him up for daring to hope.

XXX

They pushed everything back in place.

"How did you manage to move all of this by yourself?" Heiderich grunted. The couch refused to move more then an inch at a time under their combined weight.

_Determination and desperation?_

Al cast a happy glance towards Heiderich. He didn't care if it was hard or not.

"I was wondering. Won't everyone wonder how come I'm suddenly better."

_I might not have said anything. Actually, I don't think I spoke to anyone since things started getting worse_

"Al! Everyone will be worried! Winry comes every week to visit, there isn't much reason not to ever answer unless something happened and what about the kids you teach?"

_When I couldn't anymore I started sending them home with their work. A few days ago I said they could take Christmas off to make sure none of them came by while I was doing this. _Al had feared that if it went wrong they might come to see why no one answered...

He hadn't known that it had been that bad that Al felt he couldn't spare a few hours.

"Wait. It's Christmas?"

_At the end of the week._

"I didn't even know that it existed here."

It felt wrong to talk so casually, but there was only so many things you could say and ask before you began to repeat yourself. Thoughts, words, all seemed inadequate yet they felt that they needed to say something, anything, to keep the silence at bay.

There was always later, when they both had time to think about it and get used to things.

XXX

When Christmas finally came about they went over to Winry's for dinner.

Winry's anger deflated at the excuse that Heiderich had been sick. It was the truth, if vague.

Al was happy that he could finally communicate with them. Sometimes he had to write down what he wanted to say but it was becoming more infrequent.

Pinako had made ham and a thousand other things, some of which they couldn't identify. It was nice since neither had eaten properly in a long time.

After they ate they went to the sitting room to talk and tell stories. Gran talked about when Winry was little and they were showered with questions of how they met and gotten together.

Winry was glowing "But you had just met! I know! When did you know that you loved each other?"

Al was blushing faintly.

"It should have been obvious long before but something had happened to Al and that was when I knew."

"And when did you know Al?"

_When he said it._ Al smiled reminiscently. As soon as Heiderich had said 'I love you' he had known he felt the same. He could put a word to the feeling that had been growing and building with each day. He felt a pang at realizing he could easily have lost him and wondered if he would ever stop seeing it in his mind at night.

"I never thought you'd end up with anyone." Almost indignantly she added. "At least not before me."

_So you thought I'd be alone forever?_

"I always pictured you staying a kid... Did you just imply that I'd be alone forever too?" She glared icily.

Al grinned.

"One last question, who's the girl?"

Al needed less then a second before his shoulders slumped. He was tempted to tell Heiderich he had to be bottom sometime.

Heiderich pressed his face against Al's hair, trying not to laugh.

Gran had a knowing look. "Winry, why don't you start handing out the gifts?"

"On it!" She started her task enthusiastically. Or as much so as she could considering that she stopped to watch every time someone opened their present.

It had begun to get dark long ago.

Regretingly Heiderich suggested they go home.

"You could stay the night like you did when you came back."

Pinako patted Winrys elbow. "I think they would like to spend the rest of the night together dear."

"They are together Gran." Winry said matter of factly.

"Alone together."

Alphonse's face was red and Heiderich stared at the window, pretending he hadn't heard. They did want to but not for the reason they knew Winry would think.

"Ohhh. Right." Winry grinned and nodded as if sharing a secret.

They said their goodbys and headed out into the snow. It had let up but the air still had a stinging bite to it.

XXX

Heiderich huddled with Al infront of the fire for warmth. It was the only source of light in the room and added a placid feel to the room.

Al rested his head against Heiderich's shoulder. The fire reflecting it's golden light in his brown eyes.

Heiderich draped an arm around Al.

"Why do you look so sad?"

_Don't ever leave._

He brushed a kiss against Al's temple. "Alphonse, you never know how long times like this will last so don't let the bad ones interfere."

Al pressed himself closer. _I love you so much it hurts sometimes..._

"I know." He wondered if it was normal for love to be so painful. To always be afraid something might happen to the one you care about.

_I just know something is going to happen, it never stops. What if you aren't really better? It might be like last time! I can't go on without you, I can't! I'm so scared..._

Heiderich closed his eyes and sighed. Al caught his name like a breeze in summer, he wasn't even sure he'd heard it. "It's alright. I won't let anything happen. Not again."

It was a hollow promise really but Alphonse latched on to it all the same.

XXX

The phone's ringing, woke them up.

Al pulled the blanket over his head thinking that you shouldn't have to get out of bed when it was cold.

The mattress squeaked as Heiderich got out.

Al grinned against his pillow. So there was an up side to not being able to talk after all.

Heiderich tossed Al's clothes on the bed. "It was Darya. She said you have to go down. It's important."

Risembool was so small that they didn't have any sort of police presence except a girl named Darya who's only duty was to call someone in if need be or to follow orders. Now that Al was technically working for the state he was the one she bothered. She was told not to call anything in anymore unless it was of consequence to more then the town.

_What sort of important?_

"She didn't say."

Al warily eyed the blue uniform. _If I'm working unofficially then why do I have to wear that?_

"I don't know but you look cute in it."

Al gave him a look. He was a bit touchy about being called cute after Winry's question. All he received was a laugh and a gentile nudge. "Get going, you have to get up eventually anyway."

XXX

Darya grabbed the papers infront of her to keep them from blowing off her desk as the door opened allowing the wind access.

She started to explain everything she thought he might ask to save him the trouble of writing it all down for her.

"I've never heard of anything like this happening here! I was just informed that Mr. and Mrs.Yong have been found dead. It seems beyond a doubt to be murder."

Alphonse sat down to absorb the news. He had never expected to hear about something like that in Risembool. In Central yes but not here. It hurt to know someone could do this to another person. Not only take away their hopes and dreams but to leave that horrible absence in the lives of all that had been close to that person.

She thought of more to tell him. "They have a little girl, she wasn't there so I sent some people to search for her and to spread the news so more people will help."

Al jumped back up and started out, motioning for her to follow. He wanted to go to the house to see if there was anything there that might point to where she might be.

Had it been a good idea of her to tell people what had happened? What if it caused a panic? He sincerely hopped not, maybe they would be too busy focusing on the little girl?

He wasn't going to rebuke her after the deed was done and they would need help finding the girl after all.

The house the couple lived in wasn't that far away. It would have been easy for whoever did this to have snuck into his own house when they were asleep. It would be hard not to be on alert from now on. It went to show it was a mistake to let yourself be fooled into thinking any place was completely safe.

The husband was the first one to be seen. He must have been stabbed.

Alphonse was glad he hadn't eaten breakfast that morning.

The wife was in the bathroom. She had bruising around her mouth and a red hand print on her white night gown. The sight was no less eerie for the lack of further injury.

He looked in other rooms and places she might hide, avoiding the bodies.

Darya had assumed because she hadn't been found like the rest that she had escaped. He hoped that maybe she was hiding in the house and had been overlooked. She might still been hiding, afraid that they would cause harm too.

If she had run they by this time she might well of been caught. If not then she was outside by herself and had been all night. The thing he didn't want to think of was that she might have been taken.

None of the possibilities were good.

He went out the back door having ascertained she wasn't anywhere inside. What would he do if he was seven and wanted to get away? Out the front door and strait into the woods?

They split up to cover more ground.

Anger was beginning to mix with the empty sorrow that filled him.

How far into the woods had he gone now? The girl must have been tired long ago if she had run. But he hadn't found her yet, he hoped that Darya was having better luck.

Alphonse was considering turning back when he saw her. She lay crumpled, covered in a light dusting of snow and vivid bruises marred her fair skin.

Al bent to check her even though he was sure she wasn't alive but before he could there was a noise behind him and he turned in time to see something move. His tears had blurred the snow and shadows but the shape was distinctly human.

When his vision cleared he realized it was a man. As the figure approached him, not even sparing a glance at the girl Al made out coppery stains on the man's clothes.

It was obvious who this was.

"State alchemists are evil, horrible creatures." The mans voice was something he would never forget. As cold as the snow and completely emotionless.

He had just killed a family and he dared say that?

"We wanted to make your life as bad as your kind has made ours but fate seems to have graced us with something better."

All this suffering was to get back at him for something he hadn't even done?

The knife flashed so quickly he hadn't known it was there.

He dodged to the side, only getting nicked and Al's hand met with the mans jaw with a sickening crack that resounded through the woods.

He stared at his hand. He hadn't meant to do it that hard.

There was another sound. This time a soft gasping one. With renewed hope he realized the girl was still alive after all.

Al scooped her up. She had to live! If she didn't it would be his fault for wasting time.

XXX

Winry and Heiderich had heard and joined in. They worried how seeing something like that would affect Al.

Heiderich had decided he was going to ask Al to quit.

Darya came rushing over to them, huffing clouds. "Alphonse found the little girl! She's going to be ok!"

Winry sighed with relief. "Well that's good." The poor thing would have to grow up without any parents though. She sadly thought of her own parents, the situations were so alike.

They found Al inside Darya's house, the front room served as the police station with one officer manning it.

The little girl, Siri, had been tended to and was now sleeping.

"We should go home." Heiderich wished he could make it so that Al never had to see such a horrible thing again.

_There's still a lot I need to do._

Having guessed what they were speaking of Darya piped in. "Now sir, I think you should wait until tomorrow don't you? I can go keep watch and see that nothing is disturbed."

_You don't understand. I have to! What if I go home and it happens again?_

"Fine." Heiderich conceded bitterly. "After this I think you should tell the Colonel that you can't continue with the job."

_The reason I took it was that we needed the money, we still haven't paid everything off yet._

"Well then get a different job!"

_Alchemy is all I'm good at! There isn't much I can get in a small town that will be worth it._

"Maybe we should leave them alone for a bit to work things out." Darya muttered, heading for the door.

Winry grabbed the doctor by the scruff. "Honestly!"

The man tried to look like he hadn't been paying attention. She waved with her free hand and shut the door behind her.

"What would you do if you didn't know alchemy? Your entire life can't revolve around one thing!

_It doesn't! I have you don't I?_

"You wouldn't if it weren't for alchemy right? Everyone else would have had to deal with it but not you. You can just br-"

Al clapped a hand over Heiderichs mouth.

_We can't let anyone know about that!_

Heiderich's expression changed as soon as he realized how stupid he was being.

"Do you think they're still arguing?"

"I don't know." Darya peeked in the window and ducked back down right away. "I didn't know they were together like that!"

Winry snuck a peak. "They're only just hugging. Never mind."

"I'm sorry Al. I didn't mean to say it." He looked so unhappy "I'm always afraid something will happen to you and I won't be able to do anything."

Al stretched up the short distance so that their lips met in a lingering sensual way.

Winry giggled and the doctor came over. "What are you two carrying on about?" He looked in too. "Interesting." He sounded like he was studying some new medical paper rather then watching two boys kissing.

Heiderich bit Al's lip then brought their mouths back together. Hard.

Darya was trying not to laugh. "I think things just got a bit more intense."

Al's hands cut through the air, to quickly for Winry to follow. Heiderich looked like he didn't agree but nodded anyway.

They all scrambled away from the window when Al headed towards the door.

XXX

He had to find out if the danger really was over. If the man was bluffing then it wouldn't hurt to make sure but if he wasn't and there really was another person then going home would not be a good idea.

Alchemists had done something that he thought warranted hurting innocents to get at one. Al hadn't even been the one to do it and he had sought revenge in a roundabout fashion. How well had he researched Al's past? He couldn't be sure if killing the girls parents was a coincidence or directed at his parentless upbringing. Darya was supposed to be asking people if they had been approached or seen a man matching the description. He hadn't known the man and neither had she.

Part of him had wanted to stay with Heiderich and make sure he wasn't targeted. Even if he stayed with Winry and Gran it wouldn't matter. The killer had struck three people at once already.

As he walked up the steps his attention immediately went to the door. It wasn't closed properly. It was possible in their haste to find the girl they had left it so but he proceeded cautiously anyway.

He searched the house for any sign he wasn't alone, something nagging at the back of his mind the entire time. Why was he dizzy? Then he saw another little girl laying motionless, words were splashed across the wall in her blood. _'The sinners must pay.' _And suddenly he realized what was wrong.

He smelled gas.

He turned to get out but he couldn't think what way was what. Somehow he found himself falling, his body wanting to react to the dust that suddenly filled his lungs but had no energy. He wanted to be sick the sight was ingrained upon his mind.

Why was it suddenly so warm in the winter?

* * *

Footnotes!

_ Küssen Sie Ihren toten Liebhaber nicht_ means 'don't kiss your dead lover'

I really hope this turns out better than the last, Some of this was started quite a while ago and then I finally got back to it so... Yah.


End file.
